J. Allen Brack: Regarding Last Weekend’s Hearthstone Grandmasters Tournament

[froschhure]

And that changes things how? You still don't have any right to free speech in a private game company.

This is the major issue here. they deliver content to children!!! to CHILDREN. meaning they have to fullfill some sort of philosophy. With this satement. Blizzard shoveled its own grave.

[MrDaemon]

1.Sounds fair to me, dude used a wrong platform for his political speech. It's like giving a wedding toast but instead of a toast you talk about politics lol.

2. On the other hand, i doubt he would have been met with such sanctions if he talked about global warming, which again, would be far away from the gaming topic that the event was about.

Global warming is not political issue.

[froschhure]

"its cool to play our games, that are designed to make you think free, but dont you dare speaking that out loudly, because then we have to punish you."

[Onikaroshi]

This is the major issue here. they deliver content to children!!! to CHILDREN. meaning they have to fullfill some sort of philosophy. With this satement. Blizzard shoveled its own grave.

Not really, you can agree or disagree with their actions, but they were well within their contract rights to punish him as hard as they did the first time. Nothing illegal was done, and most people will forget about this in a few months when the next big thing happens.

[this is caranthir]

Because they ran out? If they were worried about Mei why would basically all of her other Mei stuff be on the store?

Yes because setting the item in "out of stock" like everything else wouldn't have worked at all.

[Ielenia]

Complete and utter horseshit. Blizzard is raking in record profits and *still* laid off 800 employees recently.

I hope you do realize this statement of yours makes mine sound even truer, right? If they laid off 800 people while STILL "raking in record profits"... how many do you think they would lay off when they're taking big hits to their bottom line?

Their hiring or firing practices objectively have nothing to do with their sub numbers in this or any other country.

Quoting you:

Complete and utter horseshit.

If you really don't think hiring and lay offs are not related to a company's bottom line, then, well, perhaps you shouldn't accuse others of "not being properly taught in school".

Don't try to pretend you give two shits about employees--I didn't see you on the forums fighting for the ones who got laid off without warning a few months ago.

I do care about them. The problem is that you either can't see, or refuse to acknowledge, the bigger picture. You're acting like you're blinded by your own self-righteous outrage.

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Actually, some did. I'm guessing they never taught you about indentured servitude in school?

And the point goes right over your head. Because you chose to duck over it. Congratulations.

[froschhure]

hearthstone is a pathetic money generator that uses WoW to generate even more money. no wonder they now speak for china. im vomiting atm

[Terongor]

You keep pretending not to get the point in your chinese lawyering drivel.
So in a lack of clear a answer from you after repeating it 3 times now, its basically ok to eat up any free speech abuse done by western companies in china's name and interests because you bought a tv with parts made in china. Got it.

Not parts nececary but if the company itself actively help china which blizzard doesn't do. Also I have atleast given to charity for hong kong have you?

[MakeMeLaugh]

Horrible damage control message written by China, ugh.

[MrLoque]

on the other hand if that player came out and, for example, expressed exactly the opposite opinion and got punished for that, people would be applauding Blizzard at the very least.

Well that would make sense, wouldn't it? If the player was German and came out praising the nazis that would have been a lot different than someone who speaks for oppressed people. I am all for sticking to the rules but this was a very specific situation that could have been handled in a different way. Punishment? Yes. Total ban and destruction? Nope.

[Ara Myrr]

This is the major issue here. they deliver content to children!!! to CHILDREN. meaning they have to fullfill some sort of philosophy. With this satement. Blizzard shoveled its own grave.

ESRB says hi.

[Yarathir]

There is something thoroughly comical about Sylvanas avatars defending this.

[froschhure]

There is something thoroughly comical about Sylvanas avatars defending this.

right??

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valve banned players that impersonated ppl (in their tournament) with racistic anti democratic behaviour. and now we have blizzard.

[Terongor]

Let me break this down for you, because I feel like reading comprehension is not a strong suit for the people defending blizzard here.
The rule states:

"Engaging in any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public, or otherwise damages Blizzard image . . ."

" . . .any act that, in Blizzard’s sole discretion, brings you into public disrepute, offends a portion or group of the public . . ."

" . . . in Blizzard’s sole discretion, . . ."

" . . . sole discretion . . ."

Sole Discretion means the following: (a) in the applicable Person’s sole and absolute discretion, (b) with or without cause, (c) subject to such conditions as it may deem appropriate, and (d) to the fullest extent permitted by law, without taking into account the interests of, and without incurring liability to, the Partnership, any Partner, any member of the Management Committee or any officer or employee of the Partnership.

And your point is? For Blizzard that openes on that rule is to prevent any kind political message as blizzard streams are wrong place for that as blizzard would be responsible. But so kkk hood would be okay in blizz stream in your oppinion.

[froschhure]

a blizzard that stands for china and not for hong kong...

its a disgrace. i feel ashamed playing blizzard games.

[Kolvarg]

you realize this is a game company??

No, Blizzard made money from China so now they are single-handedly responsible for human rights there. Isn't it obvious?

I get the feeling some people's minds are already made up, it doesn't matter if they apologise or not...

Of course, it was never about any true convictions or principles, it's just about the high being outraged gives these people. It's like feeling like you did a good deed without actually doing or accomplishing anything. I would guess a big chunk - if not the majority - of people being outraged about it don't even have anything more than a basic grasp of what's happening in Hong Kong.

The sweet irony is it's almost guaranteed no Blizzard US employee had a voice in the punishments given or the infamous tweet after. It was most surely a knee-jerk reaction from Blizz Taiwan that were just trying to do their jobs and protect the company.


The explanation is fair and makes perfect sense. The punishment was too severe and they reduced it to a reasonable and fair level. Blizzard is not any worse than any big international company, and if you're going to try to boycott every company with relations/business in China boy you're gonna have a hard time.

If you want to try and help Hong Kong, here's some ways to do it. Boycotting a games developer is not the way:
https://old.reddit.com/r/HongKong/co...s_from_abroad/

[Eveningforest]

First few posters already expressed it all. Nothing to see but a pathetic attempt at damage control. Disgusting.

[Kolvarg]

And your point is? For Blizzard that openes on that rule is to prevent any kind political message as blizzard streams are wrong place for that as blizzard would be responsible. But so kkk hood would be okay in blizz stream in your oppinion.

But FREE SPEECH!!!!

[THEORACLE64]

you realize this is a game company??

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another ignorant one. well if this is not concerning you, you just dont care.

then please dont reply or quote me. ty

You are indeed ignorant. Even so by asking people not to reply to you on a public forum... Funny.

[grexly75]

What exactly is a company meant to do, if a player misuses their platform to push a geopolitical message?
Can you honestly say that what Blizzard is "supposed" to do here, is to remain silent when their tournament platform turns political without their approval, and yes, may result in loss of future revenue measured in the billions?
You expect a gaming company, no matter how altruistic they want to pretend to be, to do that?
"Well we personally agree with the message so we're going to let this one slide"?

Welcome to the real world, where big companies are, in the end, more keen on securing their own self-interest over fighting foreign governments.

I have since years now had very little respect left for Blizzard, I've come to view them no better than EA Games as they turned into a profit-over-all company just like everyone else, but they were unfairly dragged into this whole mess and now they are somehow a scapegoat for what the Chinese government is doing.
Their biggest mistake was banning the player without first issuing a statement that no matter what they think in the China-HK situation, this player abused their platform and here's why that carries repercussions.
But they were too quick to enforce their established rules on someone who has the wests public opinion on their side.

Yes, ActiBlizzard is economically tied to China through Tencent.
Yes, they paid more heed to securing a future market instead of supporting a player that was in the end abusing their platform, by sucking up to China after this incident.
Yes, this statement by Brack is a gigantic pile of corporate damage control bullshit.
All this damning stuff is true.
But this was never their battle to begin with. It shouldn't have happened at all. It was a freaking Hearthstone tournament.

100% Agree with what you have said, unfortunately for Blizzard in the current social and political climate they have painted themselves into a corner.. And not really sure they can get out of this cleanly since it seems that quite a few people out there are baying for their blood so to speak..

What gets me though with all of this, is that you don't have mass boycotting or going into full on agro rant mode over what Apple have been upto, and nary a peep of what Disney and ESPN have done either.. Hell even Reddit are involved as well, supposedly receiving something like $150 million from China to censor/silence people..